Chicago Fire fans might find this season 15 casting update not so hot.
Joe Miñoso, who has lit up fans’ hearts as character Joe Cruz since the show’s premiere in 2012, is set to depart the Dick Wolf production, E! News has learned.
As season 14 came to an end in May, the 47-year-old was one of four original cast members remaining, joining costarsDavid Eigenberg (Christopher Herrmann), Christian Stolte(Randy “Mouch” McHolland) and Taylor Kinney (Kelly Severide)—though NBC hasn’t shared whether all three will return for season 15.
But Chi-Hards (the nickname for the series’ fandom) can rest assured Cruz and his fictional family’s storylines—which includes Cruz’s wife Chloe Cruz (played by Kristen Gutoskie) learning she’s pregnant with twins—won’t go unfinished. Miñoso is set to appear in several episodes in the forthcoming 15th season, the reports noted.
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Although that’s not to say Cruz’s arc won’t see him and the Firehouse 51 crew in more peril. After all, season 14 ended with several of the rescue squad, including Cruz, rushing into a burning storage facility that was threatening to collapse.
But beyond marking some major professional milestones on the series—which included a handful of crossover appearances on Chicago P.D. andChicago Med Chicago Firealso led to some sweet personal milestones. In fact, it was on set that he met his wife Caitlin Murphy Miles, who served as a makeup artist. And three years after their season two meet-cute, tied the knot in 2016.
As for his onscreen love, Miñoso and Gutoskie’s characters finally got hitched in an emotional climax to their eight-season love story in 2020.
“I can definitely say it’s the biggest wedding we’ve ever done,” Miñoso told Give Me My Remote after the memorable moment aired. “Very formal, very Catholic. Which is very much so, I think, in line with who Cruz is. He’s kind of old-fashioned at heart.”
Over the years, Miñoso has had to say goodbye to many costars, from former roommate Charlie Bartlett and fellow OG Jesse Spencerto Daniel Kyri, Jake Lockettand Michael Bradwayin 2025. And now he’s joining them in that next chapter as Chicago alums.
For more stars who left landmark series while they were still hot, read on…
Peter Gordon/NBC
“It was hard to say goodbye,” Gilford told Us Weekly of his exit. “It definitely was one of my favorite characters I’ve ever gotten to play and partially because what a gift. Every season I got to do a different side of this character. It wasn’t like I was just doing the same thing every year.”
So when the attorney met her end on an April 2026 episode, “I wasn’t surprised,” Regan noted. “I thought, ‘Fair enough.’ She’s had an amazing run, four years on this show. I’m only filled with gratitude.”
The exit isn’t so shocking to fans given that Ganesh’s character has been planning to take on a new residency program at another medical center.
Brooks, who joined the show in 2022, portrayed Detective Jalen Shaw for three seasons.
“The rumors …..Are true,” the former J. Crew Creative Director wrote on Instagram Nov. 21. “I was grateful to be asked to join season 16 of RHONY ‘as a friend of ‘- knowing my personal life was not really available to be filmed, we agreed that made sense.”
The fashion icon—who joined the Bravo series for season 14 in 2022—explained that she later realized being a supporting castmember wasn’t for her.
“And after thinking it through I have made the difficult decision not return to the show,” she continued. “I would be the oldest and only openly gay woman on the show and feel like this is an opportunity for a new dynamic to emerge.”
“I’ve gotten to a place where I don’t need the show financially,” Chrishell announed in November via social media. “I’m lucky to have other forms of employment, because it’s no longer good for my mental health.”
“Right now, my focus needs to be on my sobriety, my mental health, and coparenting,” the Bravo star—who is embroiled in a nasty divorce from estranged wife Brittany Cartwright—shared in July 2025. “Taking this time is necessary for me to become the best version of myself—especially for our son, Cruz.”
Longfellow and Walker each spent three seasons on SNL while Wakim exited after just one season.
“It was an absolute privilege to play Dr. Heather Collins in such a groundbreaking season and piece,” the actress posted on Instagram July 10. “Thank you to everyone who has watched & supported Season 1 & shared their stories with me.”
Pascal, meanwhile, who also died onscreen in Game of Thrones and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, took his game over status in stride. “I get killed a lot,” he joked to Entertainment Weekly. “I like to die.”
“Bobby Nash was written in sacrifice, and he was built for this,” Krause wrote in a statement to the Hollywood Reporter. “First responders risk their lives on the job so that others can see another day. His story arc honors them.”
Killing off the somewhat tormented, but beloved, firefighter was certainly a hot topic, showrunner Tim Minear acknowledged to Variety, “but after eight years, it just felt like, if we have any hope of creating stories going forward that have actual stakes, then someone’s got to die.”
Paige DeSorbo announced in June 2025 that she was walking away from the Bravo series after seven seasons.
“You’ve seen me grow up over these last 7 summers. I’ll always be grateful for the memories, the community, and the opportunities this wild ride has brought me,” the Giggly Squad podcast cohost shared with fans on Instagram. “But like all good things (and some bad decisions), it’s time for this chapter to close.”
“After an incredible journey, I’ve made the decision to step away from Emily in Paris,” she wrote in an April 23 Instagram post, alongside pictures of her and her former castmates on set. “It has been a truly wonderful experience, one filled with growth, creativity, and unforgettable memories.”
“College Girls moved me out to LA and introduced me to some of my favorite people,” she wrote on social media in July 2023. “2 and a half years later—it’s given me y’all and this community.”
The show’s co-creator Mindy Kaling also confirmed Rapp’s exit. “We love @reneerapp so much and of course will be so sad to say goodbye to Leighton Murray!” Kaling wrote on her Instagram Stories before referencing Rapp’s thriving music career. “We can’t wait to see our friend on tour!!”
“I gotta mix it up a little bit,” Pompeo explained on The Drew Barrymore Show in December 2022, though she has already returned for a May guest appearance and continues narrating the series. “I’m 53, my brain is like scrambled eggs. I gotta do something new. You can’t do The New York Times crossword puzzle every single day.”
But she’s not gone for good. Pompeo still pops in and out of Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital.
“My journey as Geralt of Rivia has been filled with both monsters and adventures,” Cavill wrote on Instagram in October 2022. “Alas, I will be laying down my medallion and my swords for Season 4.”
“To create this hour drama week after week has been a labor of love by everyone who touches the show,” Soffer said in a statement after his final appearance in the NBC procedural’s Oct. 5 episode. “I will always be proud of my time as Det. Jay Halstead.”
View More Photos From TV’s Most Shocking Exits: Stars Who Left Hit Shows
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